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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · staff · present · date · bowl · lean · stick · deal

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — to handle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — a stick
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com